In view of the upcoming Makaravilakku festival on January 14, the spot booking facility at Sabarimala has been capped at 5,000 pilgrims per day from January 8 to January 15. The decision, based on a directive from the Kerala High Court, aims to prevent overcrowding and ensure efficient crowd management during the festival season, said the Kerala Police in an official statement.

Virtual queue bookings on the Devaswom board website have been set at 60,000 on January 12, 50,000 on January 13, and 40,000 on January 14. To avoid congestion, devotees have been advised against camping on the hillock.

Police noted that measures are in place to manage crowds and ensure safety. Inspections at Nilakkal will be conducted before allowing devotees to proceed to Pampa. Restrictions will also be implemented on cooking and other activities in the parnasalas, where pilgrims traditionally wait from January 10 to witness the Makaravilakku Jyoti. The statement added that security arrangements have been strengthened at key locations for Jyoti Darshan.

Thiruvabharanam procession
The Thiruvabharanam procession will commence from the Valiya Koyikkal Temple in Pandalam at 1 pm on January 12, following rituals and darshan. The procession will rest at the Ayiroor Puthiyakavu temple at 9:30 pm before resuming at 3 am on January 13.

After another stop at Laha at 9 pm, it will proceed to Sabarimala on January 14, arriving at the Sannidhanam at 5:30 pm. The route will include Pandithavalam, Cherianavattom, Neelimala, and Apachimedu. Police have deployed additional security along the procession’s path to ensure the safety of pilgrims.

Record pilgrim turnout
The ongoing pilgrimage season, which began on November 15, has witnessed a record turnout of 39,02,610 devotees as of January 5, surpassing the 35,12,691 visitors during the same period last year. Since the start of the Makaravilakku season on December 30, 6,22,849 pilgrims have visited the shrine.